Brittani Marcell reacts to attacker's sentence: 'Justice has been served'

Brittani Marcell and her family took turns Wednesday in court trying to convince the judge to give Justin Hansen the maximum sentence.

They sat directly behind him when the judge gave them exactly what they wanted.

Wednesday in court, Brittani Marcell recalled her near-death experience 10 years ago when then 24-year-old Justin Hansen brutally beat her with a shovel at her west side home, leaving her bloodied with a swollen head, a broken jaw, fractured wrist and traumatic brain injuries.

“He did not kill me but he did take my life from me,” Brittani Marcell said.

Wednesday, Judge Cindy Leos heard emotional testimony from Brittani’s family before sentencing Hansen to the maximum 18 years in prison.

Brittani calls it closure.

“Justice has been served,” she said. “Although, 18 years, I personally don’t think that’s enough but it’s a starter.”

Even with Hansen in custody, questions remain.

Brittani says she still has no idea why that attack on her happened.

“I don’t think I’ll ever find out why he did this at all. Obviously, I think it had been pre-planned,” she said.

Despite not knowing, she says Wednesday’s decision starts the next chapter for her family, and Hansen’s.

“After hearing what he said today, lack of empathy, lack of remorse, lived with free conscious for 10 years. Are his words really good? So I think we can move forward now,” Brittani’s sister, Jennifer Marcell, said.

“That’s awful his children will walk through that, but I feel like there’s a specific reason he was put away for 18 years. Not just for the community, but for his family, too,” Brittani’s sister, Kristen Valentine, said.

As for Brittani’s future, she says she has interests in journalism, forensics, or would like to be an advocate for crime victims.

Marcell has undergone 22 surgeries so far as she continues to recover from the incident. She says she has another one coming up to help give back her smile.